How a rotary encoder works
Arta Tejarat Ayandeh (Universa ANEST IWATA Agency in Iran)
The basic components of a rotary encoder include a light emitting diode or LED, a disc and a light detector on the other side of the disc. Mounted on a rotating axis, the disc has patterns of opaque and transparent sections coded onto the disc.
The basic components of a rotary encoder include a light emitting diode or LED, a disc and a light detector on the other side of the disc. Mounted on a rotating axis, the disc has patterns of opaque and transparent sections coded onto the disc. As the disc rotates, the opaque parts block the light and the light is allowed to pass through the parts where the glass is transparent. In this way, square-wave pulses are created. These pulses can interpret position or movement.
Encoders typically have 100 to 6,000 segments per cycle. This means that these encoders can provide 3.6 degrees of resolution for encoding with 100 segments and 0.06 degrees of resolution for encoding with 6000 segments.
The principle of operation of linear encoders is the same as rotary encoders, except that instead of a rotating disc, it has a fixed matte strip with transparent cuts on its surface and an LED detector connected to its moving body.
